Need a sketch for MCWD? Here's an easy way.

We applied for water connection with the MCWD. And they needed a sketch. Thanks to Google Map, we attached these to our application:

And the details came from Google earth:

We used this also when we applied for a Cignal connection two years ago.

This RJ45 fails

This batch of RJ45 plugs is crappy.

This morning Danel and Conde visited Dodon and played games on the xbox. The wireless connection was spotty.

After Dodon's pals went home  I made a patch cable to connect our xbox to our router. I was meaning to do this for a long time now. Yesterday, Dodon and I were at the SM. We dropped by Ace Hardware and bought  RJ45 plugs. 

But the plug does not seem to be of the kind that I have in my other patch cables. The cable tester does not show a good connection.The plug does not fit snugly into a port; it won't click in place and falls off at a touch. I think I need to get some real plugs from AC-DC or Advance Electronics.

14 January 2015. OK, I was wrong. It was not the RJ45 plugs that were crappy but this crimper I bought from CDR King:

So I got this one which worked fine, but a little pricey, from Harmanson:

You get what you pay for.

Seasons greetings

Due to my other blog, I did not have time to put my random thoughts here. Next year, I think I will have time to spare.

Much of my thoughts nowadays, however, is about the iatrogenic condition of my son. It is almost eight years now since he was started on medication. It was only towards the end of 2013 that we began to learn about the side effects of neuroleptics. 

Thanks to Robert Whitaker, Monica Cassani, Will Hall, and many other great guys, we are beginning to understand the problem. 

The healing of our son will be a slow but exciting process for the family.

Happy new year!

Who benefit from lower tax rates?

See my post here.

Hiking through the SRP

I have been planning for a long time to hike through the South Road Properties. I finally did it with Dodon on March 30, 2014, Sunday, starting at about 4:30 PM.

 We started here. The skyline of downtown Cebu City is visible in the back.

To our right, across the road, is the SM construction. 

Looking towards former Kawit Island.

 Another view of Cebu City skyline from Kawit Island.

 Can we call this the pissing fountain?

The Lantaw restaurant at SRP.

 The guard is telling us that we were

 not supposed to be walking through SRP.

This is now the Talisay side.

Year-end spoiler: Mt. Bihonan of Talisay

Spoiling our rest these holidays has been the constant spewing of acrid smoke from a noodle factory in our neighborhood.

The smoke leaves black soot on the window screens which have to be scrubbed hard with soap and water else no air could get inside during those times when you can open your windows which has been rare this past months.

Best laid plans

Haven't posted here for quite some time because I was busy with my other blog (see here).

But I need to record this.

Beginning of October the family planned to go on vacation. The last one together was years ago.

We decided on a 2-day fling in Panglao, Bohol as the most affordable and convenient for our office and class schedules. Honi will be on sem break from her last year at Don Bosco. Mamay has filed a leave from her audit work. Dodon is out of school (hopefully temporarily) and Nanay is long overdue for a break.

Mamay made reservations with Lost Horizon. We made a down payment of 1K. Our vacation would be October 30 to November 1. I made arrangements with my manager so that she would not go on official trips on those days. Mamay filed a week-long leave.

We mapped out the tours to make the best use of our time. Feeding our dog, Dingky, would have to be arranged with Nanay's sister who is a neighbor.

Then while we were still preparing for breakfast during the Muslim holiday of October 15, the bowels of the earth sent a big tremor upwards on the island of Bohol disfiguring the tour sites we were supposed to see and leaving suffering in much part of the island.

What to do with the leave of absence we had already filed? We decided to go to Camotes instead and made the necessary plans. We picked Bano Beach resort and got in touch with management. Payment of reservation was done through kwarta padala of Lhuillier. Another non-refundable 1K.

All bags were packed in the evening of October 29. By 8AM of October 30 we alighted from a Ceres bus near the Port of Danao only to find a long line of passengers with nowhere to go. The first trip of the vessel turned back when the port on Camotes was already in sight. The waves were too big. All trips on that day were cancelled.

But little Mouse, you are not alone,
In proving foresight may be vain:
The best laid schemes of mice and men
Go often awry,
And leave us nothing but grief and pain,
For promised joy!

                - Robert Burns, 1785

-Robert Burns, 1785